Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia's leaders Monday to consolidate support for U.S. dealings with Iran as President Donald Trump formally signed "hard-hitting" new economic sanctions targeting Iranian leaders.
Trump said he hopes the sanctions will bring the Persian Gulf nation back to the bargaining table.
“We do not seek conflict with Iran or any other country,” Trump said. “I can only tell you we cannot ever let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
Pompeo met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss "ways to counter the malign Iranian influence in the region," the State Department said in a statement.
Pompeo also will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in a bid to strengthen a global coalition against what the U.S. sees as Iranian aggression. The sanctions ordered by Trump are in response to Iran shooting down a U.S. drone last week.
The U.S. claims the $100 million, unmanned aircraft was flying over international waters, while Iran says the drone was over its territory. On Monday, a defiant Iranian admiral said his military stands ready to shoot down more drones.
“The enemy dispatched its most sophisticated, smartest and most complicated surveillance aircraft to the banned area, and everyone saw the shooting down of the unmanned aerial vehicle," Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said. "We confidently say that this crushing response can be repeated ... and the enemy is aware of this."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is welcomed by Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf upon his arrival in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Ju ..Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
